Anna Matsunaga

It's so so funny, when it is a "Seller's market" Sellers do not even hesitate to go ahead and sell if there are ANY compelling reasons to do so and in many cases their reason it to sell and buy a nicer or bigger house.

Fast forward to a "Buyer's market" . This is when buyers should be buying right? But instead it often becomes a time of great uncertainty for buyers. Why? For one thing many of them want to "Time" the market. The problem is....no one really can. If this were possible, those of us who worked in the industry would be automatically wealthly just from our intimate knowledge of the market and this is certainly not true. No one can know when the "bottom" is except in retrospect and no one knows where the top is either. Perfect timing in Real estate is only luck. Good timing however is a combination of good solid information and decisiveness.

Another reason buyers hesitate is that they are living in a home that they must sell before they can buy the next one and dang it, they don't really like the price that the home they are in would fetch right now, so they wait, or worse yet, they put the home on the market, but at a price that it will not sell for right now and the get frusterated with the results.

Let's crunch the numbers right now.

First let's say you live in a house that 18 months ago you could have sold for $255,000 and that now likely you are looking @ closer to maybe $210,000 as what you could sell it for. You have improved it, you feel you should make a little on it, but instead after the cost of sale you are losing a little money or you are just walking away from the closing table with nothing. Does this mean you should wait to sell when you can get more for your home? This is the way many sellers operate....but's let's look a little closer.

Let's say you sell your house a little UNDER market for $205,000 and you actually have to come to the table even with $2500 out of your own pocket for the privilege of selling your house. Not very fun is it?

But let's look closer......The house you want to move into is today priced @ $368,000. This is a bit of a stretch for you but you have looked @ your budget and you can do it. Let's think a bit more. What did that same house list for 18 months ago? ( when you are thinking you should have sold your home you are in now so as to have gotten full dollar for it) Well, it was listed then for $459,000, a whole entire $91,000.00 MORE than it is today! So....if you had have sold 18 months ago and gotten full dollar for the home you are in you would have made an extra maybe $38-40K more than now and you would have PAID $91,000 more for the home you want. ( a difference of $51K MORE not even counting the cost of sale)

Why not save the $50K now and buy now, sure you will get a bit less for your home, this may be painful, but when you crunch the numbers you will see that not looking so close @ the pennies will net you many many dollars.

Think it over, there are other solutions if you are looking to move up today in today's market. Also please know that interest rates are at all time lows, this is a good time to buy for so many reasons, let's meet and see what it will take to help you move forward and take advantage of where we are today!

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Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty Tacoma, 253 212 1252

Yesterday I did a 10 mile run ( shorter than last weekend since I am looking @ doing the half marathon even for the Seattle marathon next weekend, just have to see if I can still register)

The day was one of the most beautiful I have seen in months and it was a totally perfect run, decent time and lots of fun and not even a touch of knee pain.

Then I came home and made lunch for everyone and got things together with my family before heading to the office to print off my open house fliers for my "Tell 100" on my newest listing. ( this is part of my marketing plan for homes where this really makes sense. ) The home is located @ 4214 North Highland and is a rambler with about 1100 sf, hardwood floors, french doors, a great deck and a nice lay out. I really like it. What I learned however from the door knocking is that the whole neighborhood really loves the area, almost everyone I met told me that they really really like it there. People were friendly and it was a fun day. I met at least 22 people in person.

However the 100 doors proved to be much more difficult than the 10 miles ( took longer too) It was really really fun, but my knees, which were completely happy on the run began to protest when I decided to walk up to 100 houses ( lots with lots and lots of steps!) and introduce myself and invite people to the open house the next day. The first 25 or so were fine, the next 25 okay the last 50 not so much. My feet hurt on the bottoms from running in Cotton socks ( could not find the synthetics!) and of course I was dressed "professionally" which means in heels and slacks. That of course put lots of pressure on the sore spots on the bottom of my feet and my knees, well they were making a real statement too. Thankfully everyone I met at the doors was really nice to make up for it. Even met a lady who who's son needs RE help.

While I was out I also had fun looking closely at the houses in the neighborhood. There is nothing that helps you learn about and notice things in a neighborhood like walking around it door to door. Besides my listing, I had 3 favorites in the neighborhood that I felt were extreemly well cared for and cute as well. These are not for sale, they just represent the kind of care and character common in the neighborhood. I took pictures of them after I was done door knocking to share with you, the pics do not do total justice since it was just a little before dark with out the best light ( wow it gets dark early!)

It was also nice to talk with the owners of one of the 3 new construction homes that I had shown a couple times back when they were on the market, they really looked well thought out and livable and the owners said they love it! These homes of course were far more impressive than my 3 favorites, but they are almost new, so do not yet give us the chance to see how they will wear and be cared for over time yet.

I am excited to sell this listing even more than when I took it because I know who ever moves there will be very happy with their choice of home and of neighborhood.

How did the open house go? Sue, our buyer's agent sat it today and met 4 different sets of folks, and one lady who has a daughter house shopping in the neighborhood. All in all, a good weekend for marketing this listing!

Want to know more about selling your home in this market, or about what the up to date information on the market that matters to you the most ( the one your home is in)? Call Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty Tacoma, 253 212 1252, or email @ anna_matsunaga@kw.com

Yesterday I did a 10 mile run ( shorter than last weekend since I am looking @ doing the half marathon even for the Seattle marathon next weekend, just have to see if I can still register)

The day was one of the most beautiful I have seen in months and it was a totally perfect run, decent time and lots of fun and not even a touch of knee pain.

Then I came home and made lunch for everyone and got things together with my family before heading to the office to print off my open house fliers for my "Tell 100" on my newest listing. ( this is part of my marketing plan for homes where this really makes sense. ) The home is located @ 4214 North Highland and is a rambler with about 1100 sf, hardwood floors, french doors, a great deck and a nice lay out. I really like it. What I learned however from the door knocking is that the whole neighborhood really loves the area, almost everyone I met told me that they really really like it there. People were friendly and it was a fun day. I met at least 22 people in person.

However the 100 doors proved to be much more difficult than the 10 miles ( took longer too) It was really really fun, but my knees, which were completely happy on the run began to protest when I decided to walk up to 100 houses ( lots with lots and lots of steps!) and introduce myself and invite people to the open house the next day. The first 25 or so were fine, the next 25 okay the last 50 not so much. My feet hurt on the bottoms from running in Cotton socks ( could not find the synthetics!) and of course I was dressed "professionally" which means in heals and slacks. That of course put lots of pressure on the sore spots on the bottom of my feet and my knees, well they were making a real statement too. Thankfully everyone I met at the doors was really nice to make up for it. Even met a lady who who's son needs RE help.

While I was out I also had fun looking closely at the houses in the neighborhood. There is nothing that helps you learn about and notice things in a neighborhood like walking around it door to door. Besides my listing, I had 3 favorites in the neighborhood that I felt were extreemly well cared for and cut as well. These are not for sale, they just represent the kind of care and character common in the neighborhood. I took pictures of them to share with you, the pics do not do total justice since it was just a little before dark with out the best light ( wow it gets dark early!)

It was also nice to talk with the owners of one of the 3 new construction homes that I had shown a couple times back when they were on the market, they really looked well thought out and livable and the owners said they love it! These homes of course were far more impressive than my 3 favorites, but they are almost new, so do not yet give us the chance to see how they will wear and be cared for over time yet.

I am excited to sell this listing even more than when I took it because I know who ever moves there will be very happy with their choice of home and of neighborhood.

How did the open house go? Sue, our buyer's agent sat it today and met 4 different sets of folks, and one lady who has a daughter house shopping in the neighborhood. All in all, a good weekend for marketing this listing!

Want to know more about selling your home in this market, or about what the up to date information on the market that matters to you the most ( the one your home is in)? Call Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty Tacoma, 253 212 1252, or email @ anna_matsunaga@kw.com

Just got this from our Realtor Group here in WA, thought I'd pass it along.--

Contrary to what the ForSaleByOwner.com news release says....

1) They are NOT in a partnership with REALTOR.com
2) The settlement between NAR and the DOJ did NOT force REALTOR.com to accept FSBO property listings
3) Properties from sellers not represented by Realtors will NOT appear on REALTOR.com
4) MLSs still get to decide which listings to distribute to REALTOR.com

As Michael Wurzer explained on the Flex MLS blog, "So, this is just another version of a limited service listing, not some revolution in policy regarding FSBOs."

Also, as Laurie Janik, NAR's general counsel, told VAR Buzz,

"Please reassure your members that there are no unlisted properties on Realtor.com.

"We still cannot figure out the basis for the outrageous claims being made by ForSaleByOwner.com in this press release. No relationship exists between that entity and Realtor.com. Listings displayed on Realtor.com continue to be provided by the MLSs, and contrary to the headline, there is NO "agent free access to Realtor.com."

Want real representation in the sale or purchase of your home? Team Momentum believes that everyone is better off well represented. To find out more about navigating the waters of today's market call Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty Tacoma, 253 212 1252

I am going to register for the Seattle Marathon, but I am in a quandry which event? I am not ready for the full running marathon for sure. There is also a full marathon walk, half marathon walk and a half marathon run. I know I can walk a half marathon since I ran and walked one this morning. I also know that by Nov 30th I will not be ready to run one all the way ( maybe never will be able to with my knees) Walking a full marathon is past where I will be for milage at that point in time, and I don't really want to walk the whole thing, so....Not sure what I should do. My husband says I should enter the half running one, they will not kick me off the course for walking part of the way. I think maybe he is right. I am suddenly just pretty intimidated by the idea of people who can run the whole way and me walking along....

So any way for those of you who are runners I would love an opinion. I started training in the last week of August of this year. I run about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way and walk the rest when I train. I completed a half marathon and just a tad bit more yesterday morning. ( both walking and running) I need to find out if a certain time is required for the Seattle Marathon, I think that will help too. I have made almost all of my training days although sometimes one day has been substituted with another ( took a rest day on a scheduled run day and ran on a scheduled rest day)

If you run ( particularly the Seattle marathon) I would like your opinion.

If you need a Real Estate Team that goes the extra mile, Call Anna Matsunaga, with Team Momentum of Keller Williams Realty Tacoma, 253 212 1252